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墨書 Inktalez
Have you ever lost your soul?
Xing Ruyi remembers that she lost her soul when she was just six or seven years old, living at her grandmother's house in the countryside. Her grandmother raised some rabbits, and after school, she would always take a basket to the fields to gather grass to feed them.
She vaguely recalls that it was an early summer evening when she finished gathering grass and was preparing to go home. Passing by a neighbor's farmland, she saw an exceptionally beautiful rose.
This rose was different from the ones typically planted at common people's doorsteps; its petals were gradient-colored, with edges shimmering in enticing gold under the sunset's glow. The flower swayed gently in the early summer breeze, more gracefully than ordinary roses.
For some inexplicable reason, Xing Ruyi walked over to that flower and picked it.
On her way home, her eyes never left the rose until she ran into an acquaintance.
According to the local customs, Xing Ruyi should refer to that acquaintance as Sister Liu.
Sister Liu noticed the flower in her hand and found it beautiful, so she asked Xing Ruyi where she had picked such a lovely rose. Xing Ruyi was momentarily stunned, and then a scene flashed through her mind. She suddenly remembered that this beautiful rose had been picked from a graveyard.
Though she felt a bit scared, she couldn't bear to part with such a beautiful flower, so she made up some excuse and hurried home with the rose. After nightfall, Xing Ruyi had a dream in which she went out again and wandered back to that farmland, where she saw an old woman dressed in black sitting on a high mound of earth.
She couldn't remember much of what happened next, but according to her mother, she suddenly developed a high fever and felt dazed. It was her grandmother who immediately recognized that her soul had been taken away, which is referred to as "losing one's soul" in the countryside.
There are many methods for calling back one's soul, and different places have their own rituals. Her grandmother's method was quite simple: first, she used a silver needle to pierce Xing Ruyi's forehead and then drew a "十" character with it. Next, she poured a bowl of rice and wrapped the entire bowl in red cloth with the opening facing down. Holding the other end of the cloth, she spun it above Xing Ruyi's head while calling her name.
Every few minutes, she would open the red cloth to check if any rice had been lost. If some rice was missing, she would refill it and continue spinning while calling out the name of the person who had lost their soul.
Xing Ruyi remembers that year; her grandmother spun above her head at least seven times. When they opened the red cloth for the seventh time and saw that none of the rice had been lost, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on a stool.
Although it was just a simple act of spinning rice, her grandmother was drenched in sweat and sternly scolded Xing Ruyi, telling her never to touch anything from someone else's grave.
At that age, although she was scared inside, she was more curious. While listening to her grandmother's lecture, she was also lying on the ground looking for rice. But strangely, the fallen rice seemed to have disappeared!
"Did you really not find any of that rice?"
Inside the swaying carriage, Lingling had already fallen asleep. Si Niang held Lingling while resting her chin on her hand, listening to Xing Ruyi recount her childhood story of losing her soul.
"I really didn't find any!" Xing Ruyi rested her chin on her hand. "I remember it very clearly. When my grandmother first opened that red cloth, there was at least half a bowl of rice missing, yet I didn't see a single grain on my head, my body, or even on the ground. It was the first and biggest mystery of my life."
"What happened after that? Did it get better?"
"That time it got better, but then I did something even more ridiculous afterward, though I didn't lose my soul this time." Xing Ruyi said as she rubbed her forehead.
"Did your grandmother tell you who took your soul away?"
"Of course, but it wasn't in the form of a story; it came up accidentally during her scolding." Xing Ruyi stretched her back. "I have three uncles according to our hometown customs; I should call them Da Ye, Er Ye, and San Ye. However, since my grandfather is the second-born, we don't use the title Er Ye for him and just call him Grandpa instead. That graveyard is my Da Ye's ancestral grave, and the mound where the rose grew is my Grandmother's grave, who passed away less than three years before that."
"By that logic, you should be considered her granddaughter. Why would she take your soul?"
"It probably has something to do with the disharmony among sisters-in-law. My grandmother had a very strong personality and was quite serious; when she was alive, she and my grandmother hardly spoke and often fought fiercely. She took my soul likely as a way to get back at my grandmother since I was still young when she passed and only had a vague impression of her. However, during her burial, according to family customs, I did wear mourning clothes for her."
"Given this context, your Grandmother certainly had a sharp mind. As the saying goes, once someone dies, it's all over; yet here she is still trying to harm you!"
"Well, it can't be said that my Grandmother wanted to harm me; it's just that I couldn't resist temptation. After all, I picked that rose myself and even stepped onto someone else's grave to do so. As an ancestor, it's only right for her to teach me a lesson as a descendant."
"You really are kind-hearted towards the Fox Demon! They took your soul away and you're still speaking up for them!" Si Niang shook her head. "But coming back to this point, your nature hasn't changed at all. Perhaps that's why you encountered such an extraordinary Husband like Young Master Yin."
"Maybe!" Xing Ruyi said as she pushed aside the curtain to look outside.
Originally, Li Mao was supposed to stay at Ruyi Rouge with Deer Lady, but there were too many people traveling together, and the fox was unwilling to be the driver. Brother Chang and Shengzi were busy with official duties outside and couldn't leave Luoyang together, so Li Mao had to come and drive the carriage.
Hearing some noise, Li Mao glanced back and saw that it was Xing Ruyi lifting the curtain, so he chuckled and said, "The shopkeeper must be feeling bored sitting inside!"
"Where's the fox?"
"Yin Ye? He rode ahead to scout the way for the shopkeeper and also to arrange our accommodation for tonight."
Xing Ruyi nodded and looked at the dense forest outside, asking, "Where are we now?"
"We just left Luoyang City; we're still within Luoyang's territory. Yin Ye, everyone in this carriage is a lady, so we need to drive steadily without rushing. There's no need to hurry since we have plenty of time!"
"I'm fine with Si Niang, but this girl Lingling has lost her spirit from the bumps."
"This girl always envies others when she sees them being carried in palanquins or riding in carriages. Now that she has to sit herself, she can't handle it," Si Niang said, gently stroking Lingling's face. "It seems this girl isn't meant for a life of luxury!"
"That's not necessarily true! To ordinary people, wearing gold and silver, eating delicacies, and traveling in carriages is considered a life of luxury. But for those who aren't ordinary, having three meals a day—even if it's plain food—shared with someone they love is happiness. What does it matter if there are no carriages? As long as two people walk together, waiting for each other, chasing each other under the morning light and watching the evening glow, they can still reach their destination."
"That's true! Even scholars in tea houses say that wealthy families have their own troubles while poor families have their own joys. I think my current life is quite good—running my Tavern, brewing my Peach Blossom Wine, and having you as a behind-the-scenes manager like a Fox Demon. I have no worries about food or drink; life is carefree."
"With that said, I also feel that my life right now is pretty good." Xing Ruyi leaned against the carriage window and looked out, noticing a plume of black smoke rising from the nearby forest.
"Li Mao!"
"Shopkeeper!" Li Mao responded and stopped the carriage. "Did you see that black smoke?"
"Yes!" Xing Ruyi nodded.
"I just noticed it. That should be a new grave, less than three years old. The smoke is drifting to the right, indicating it belongs to an unmarried girl. It seems she didn't die unjustly; rather, she died of natural causes."
"How can you tell that?"
"The smoke has a greenish tint, indicating this is a new grave and that the deceased was quite young; men are buried on the left and women on the right, so this grave must belong to a girl. The green smoke rises and flickers, suggesting that the deceased was shy and likely unmarried. Furthermore, there's a hint of pink in the smoke, indicating she was a virtuous young woman who might have been experiencing youthful infatuation."
"Although it sounds like nonsense, it does make some sense," Xing Ruyi said as she looked at the smoke. "So how do you know this grave's occupant didn't die unjustly but rather from illness?"
"Are you testing me, shopkeeper?" Li Mao scratched his head. "Actually, I heard all this from a Taoist priest at the temple. As for whether it's true or not, I can't be certain. According to what that priest said, if someone died unjustly, they would harbor resentment and hatred, so the smoke from their grave would be heavier than usual, mostly black in color. If there were bright red hues within that blackness, it would indicate a malevolent spirit. However, the smoke from this grave has some white mixed in, which suggests that the deceased was weak in life and most likely died of illness."
"We'll find out soon enough whether she died of illness or not. Looking at the direction the smoke is drifting, her home should be just ahead."
"You were right, shopkeeper. Mr. Yin, if we go further ahead, we'll reach a village called Grave Village."
"Grave Village? That name sounds quite strange," Si Niang turned her face toward them upon hearing their discussion.
"It is indeed a bit odd. However, as Mr. Yin mentioned, this village might have originally been a large burial ground, which is why it has such an unusual and somewhat eerie name," Li Mao said as he waved his whip. "Shopkeeper, the grave smoke has entered the village!"
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